James Boll

Removal of colored tattoos with the Q-switched alexandrite laser

The Q-switched alexandrite laser at 760 nm and 50- to 100-ns pulse duration has been shown to effectively remove blue-black as well as green, red, and mauve in seven human subjects with colored tattoos. An average of 9.0 treatments were required to completely remove the green pigment at an average fluence of 5.80 J/cm2 compared with an average of 9.7 treatments at an average fluence of 6.10 J/cm2 for red and an average of 10 treatments at an average fluence of 6.20 J/cm2 for mauve. Orange and yellow were unaffected by the alexandrite laser over a range of fluences tested.

Portable semiconductor laser system to stop internal bleeding

The authors have developed a new technique using a small and portable semiconductor laser to stop or prevent bleeding under any condition, including in proximity of the heart or the brain, or in absence of a utility electrical supply such as in an outdoors environment. The medical procedure to stop bleeding using this invention is very similar to standard procedures commonly practised by doctors and surgeons. In this technique, a specifically designed medical forceps is combined with an efficient, self-contained and hand-held semiconductor-laser to provide hemostasis. The laser energy is delivered through an optical fiber cable to the tip of a dedicated medical forceps to provide rapid local heating of the vessels and/or tissue contained between the jaws of the medical forceps, thereby cauterizing said bleeding vessel and/or tissue. The cauterization mechanism being essentially thermal, the tip of the forceps is designed to minimize its thermal mass and minimize heat losses.